Motorboat



May 2, 1939.

MOTORBOAT Filed Aug. 4, 1958 W. A'. EDWARDS 2,156,938

Patented May 2, 14939l UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE MoronnoA'r Wilbert A. Edwards, needvnie, va.

Application August 4, 193s, serial No. 223,065

s claims7 (ci. 11s-3s) This invention relates Ato improvements in motor boats and has for its object to provide a boat constructed with a well, which may be at the bow or stern, and into which the propeller and propeller housing can be raised when the boat is in shallow water when used as a pleasure boat, and also when used as a fishing boat, to keep the net out of the propeller in the event that the net should come under the boat.

m A further object of my invention is to provide the propeller gear housing so mounted that it can be revolved for the purpose of steering the boat if desired, or the propeller'gear housing can be made stationary, if desired, so that it will not 13 revolve, in which event the steering can be done with a rudder. When the propeller is used for steering the boat, it should be placed as near the bow of the boat as possible, although it could be placed equally as near the stern, but when the steering is done with a rudder, the propeller can be placed in any position.

A further object of my invention is to provide simple and eicient mechanism for raising' and lowering the propeller housing and propeller.

g5 The invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth in the following specification-and pointed out in detail in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a section taken on the line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view of the housing and operative parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, I designates the bow of a boat in which is mounted the well 2 having a covering 3 secured thereon. Vertically movable within the well 2 is a base 4 in which is secured the propeller gear housing hanger 5, the propeller housing 6 being secured to the lower end of the said hanger 5. Within the propeller gear housing 6 is mounted the propeller shaft 'l having a propeller 8 on the outer end thereof. The inner end 'of the propeller shaft 'I is provided with a bevel-gear 9 in mesh with the bevel-gear I0 on the lower end of the vertical drive shaft II. 'I'he said shaft I I projects up through the gear housing I2 and is provided with a bevel-gear I3 loosely mounted thereon and within said housing I2. The said bevel-gear I3 is connected to a sleeve I4 having a slot I5 in its upper surface which is adapted to receive the male end I6 of the clutch IT which latter is rigidly secured to the shaft II.

The bevel-gear I3 is in mesh with abevel-gear Il on the engine shaft I9. 'I'he base 4 is mounted in the lower ends of the racks 20 on opposite sides 5 of the well 2. These racks 2 0 mesh with the pinions 2| on the shafts-22. The said shafts 22 each have a bevel-gear 23 on one end thereof in mesh with the bevel-gears 24 on the shaft 25.

The said shaft 25 is provided with a crank handle 10 26 on one end thereof. By turningv the .crankhandle 26, the base 4 and consequently the propeller housing and propeller will be raised into the well 2, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawing, at the same time raising the shaft l5 I I so that the clutch I'I will be disconnected from the sleeve I4 so that the shaft II will not be revolved even though the engine be running. By turning the crank 26 in the opposite direction, the base 4 and propeller gear housing 6 and pro- 20 peller will be lowered to the position shown in Figure l of the drawing, at the same time causing the clutch I'I to mesh with the sleeve I4 so that the said shaft I I can be driven to revolve/the propeller for operating the boat. The hanger 5 is 25 provided on .its upper surface with a gear wheel 2l in mesh with a small gear wheel 28 on the shaft 29 which latter is provided with a wheel til on its upper end. By revolving the wheel 30 the hanger 5 can be turned in any direction so 30 Vand down in said well, a propeller gear housing suspended from said base, a shaft projecting into 40 said propeller housing, a propeller on the outer end of said shaft, a bevel-gear on the inner end of said shaft, a gear housing onl the top of said well cover, a vertical shaft projecting through the housing on the top'of said well cover and into the 45 propeller gear housing, a bevel-gear on the lower end of said vertical shaft in mesh with the bevelgear on the propeller shaft, a clutch member loosely mounted, on the vertical shaft and having its lower end projecting into the housing on the 50 well cover and provided with a bevel-gear thereon, a clutch member rigidly mounted on said i vertical shaft and adapted to cooperate with the loosely mounted clutch member to revolve said vertical shaft, and an engine shaft projecting II into the housing on the well cover and a bevelgear on the inner end of said engine shaft in mesh with the bevel-gear on the inner end of the loosely mounted clutch member.

2. The combination with a boat having a well therein with an open bottom, a base movable vertically in said well, means for raising and lowering said base lln said well, a propeller housing hung from said base, a shaft projecting into said housing and having a bevel-gear on its inner end, a propeller mounted on the outer end of said shaft, a gear housing mounted on the top of said well cover, a vertical shaft having its lower end projecting into the propeller housing and provided with a bevel-gear in mesh with a gear on the propeller shaft and its upper end projecting through the gear housing on the cover of said well, a clutch member loosely mounted on the vertical shaft and having its lower end projecting into the gear housing on the well cover and provided with a bevel-gear on its inner end, a clutch member rigidly secured to the vertical Shaft and adapted to cooperate with the loosely mounted clutch member, and an engine shaft projecting into the gear housing on the Well cover and having a bevel-gear on its inner end in mesh with the bevel-gear on the loosely mounted member of said clutch.

3. 'I'he combination with a boat having a well therein with an open bottom, a base movable vertically in said well, a cover for said well, racks projecting into said well on opposite sides thereof and secured at their lower ends to said base, pinions mounted on the cover of said well and in mesh with thesaid racks, av bevel-gear on one end of each of the pinion shafts, a shaft mounted on the side of said well and having bevel-gears thereon in mesh with the bevel-gears on the pinion shafts, a crank for turning'the shaft mounted on the side of said well, a propeller gearhousing revolubly hung from the bottom of said base, means for revolving said propeller gear housing, a propeller shaft projecting into the propeller housing, a propeller on the outer end of said propeller shaft, a vertical shaft having its lower end projecting into the propeller gear housing,

' a gear housing mounted on the top of the well cover, a clutch member loosely mounted on the vertical shaft and having its lower end projecting into the last mentioned housing and having a bevel-gear on its lower end, a clutch member Irigidly secured to the said vertical shaft and adapted to cooperate with the loosely mounted clutch'member to cause the vertical shaft to revolve, and an engine shaft projecting into the housing on the well cover and having a bevel-gear thereon in mesh with the bevel-gear on the loosely mounted clutch member.

WILBERT A. EDWARDS. 

